Entwined

Chapter 15: Flicker

The dark clouds loom ominously on the mountain. I'm a bit worried about it raining, but the weather app only mentioned light rainfalls, so we should be fine. I felt a little confined while sitting in the front seat, so I decided to roll down the window, and a chill wind greeted me. It was a pleasant wind, one with a rich smell of nature. As I take in the breeze, we entered a road wholly covered by the myriads of trees looming over the asphalt path. A sort of inviting arch, one that we immediately accepted.

"The air feels nice," I thought out loud.

"It does, it's been a while since I last reconnected with nature. It's also partly why I suggested this trip," she said and giggled, while keeping an eye on the road.

My lips curled into a smile. Nature, huh. True, it has been a while, I've only connected with the concrete jungle and never even thought of going to the province. If I remember correctly the last time, I was in the province when I was still five with my mom. It was for my father; he was still alive back then but very sickly. I don't have a lot of memories with him. I mean, I was 5 years old, can you really blame me? But I do have a vague memory of him telling me something. But it's been so long, I can't remember.

I tried my best to remember it, closing my eyes and thinking about it hard until I felt dizzy. I stopped and just let it go, staring at the passing trees to ease my strained thoughts. We kept passing by even more trees until it cleared out, revealing a breathtaking view of the mountainside.

"Beautiful, right?" Melody remarked.

I wordlessly nodded and couldn't help but admire the view. The trees encompassing the entirety of the mountain, dotted by small clumps of houses that seemingly add detail to the already beautiful canvas. The captivating view took my attention away and didn't notice that we stopped on the nearby cliff. I got out and helped Melody pull out the foldable chairs we packed.

We closed the trunk and got closer to the cliffside view, setting our chairs down and sat down. She lit a cigarette up and started smoking but I had a better idea. I pulled my phone and started taking pictures, not sparing any beautiful view.

"I didn't know you liked taking pictures, Easton," she commented, "I thought you're more like a living-in-the-present kind of guy."

"I am. But sometimes, I like keeping something to remind me of a good thing that happened," I responded, my hand still snapping pictures, left and right.

I had a thought, what about I take a picture of Melody?

With nothing to lose I turned around and snapped a stolen shot of her. I smirked and went to face the cliff again, but this time, I didn't take any photos. I checked Melody's photo, and it turns out, she looked absolutely stunning in it. The wind lifted her hair and the smoke blown by the wind made an interesting appearance, accentuating her allure.

I should show this to Nazz next time, he'll lose his mind.

I eventually stopped taking pictures and went to sit beside her. I still find it quite unbelievable; this place was only a few minutes away from where I live and I have never seen it. Probably, because I never really ventured a lot, but well, I've seen it now, no regrets. I sent the pictures to Nazz and Dom, then finally tucking the phone away.

"So... how are you these days, Easton?" she asked, and puffed a smoke.

"Fine, I guess. Not much happening," I replied, bringing back the events that transpired this week.

She seemed to have noticed my reaction and stood up, she leaned on the railings and looked around the cliff. She seemed... at peace, calm, and happy. I mirrored her mood and started smiling as well. I joined her side and pointed at a verdant colored house. I jokingly boast that I'd probably hit it accurately with a missile strike due to its color. She giggled at my stupid joke and pointed at a clump of houses on the right, commenting how cozy it would feel to live there.